On four occasions, Lyons sexually assaulted the boy by engaging in masturbation with him, twice in his room in the parish rectory and twice in the church sacristy, according to prosecutors.

The victim, now an adult, filed a report with the Costa Mesa Police Department in September 2008. Lyons was arrested July 20, 2009, while playing cards at a local community center near his home in Leisure World in Seal Beach.

In April 2003, Lyons was charged with molesting a second boy under the age of 14 between 1978 and 1981. This case was dismissed for being passed the statute of limitation.

Lyons is expected to be sentenced May 25 to a year in jail, five years of probation and lifetime sex offender registration that will bar him from entering county recreational areas and city parks which have passed the sex offender ordinance.

One Comment

As a lfelong Catholic this kind of predator disgusts me and all other Catholics. Not only did they betray these boys, they also betrayed the Catholic Church. They should spend the rest of their lives in jail.

First, we want to thank the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for
working diligently over the past decade to ensure that Denis Lyons faced
justice in the criminal courts. Despite numerous setbacks, prosecutors have
never lost sight of the threat that Lyons has continually posed to children
across the county.

Despite today’s victory for children, we are still dismayed that church
officials knew about Denis Lyons and his crimes for more than two decades.
Instead of calling law enforcement, they sent him to a church-run facility
for child-molesting clerics, promoted him to pastor, and then sent him to a
parish where he worked side-by-side with another known predator. This
behavior is inexcusable and every church official who knew, whether they are
still in Orange or in Boise, ID, MUST be called to account. The excuse of
“it was a long time ago,” is a slap in the face to victims everywhere.
Church officials had numerous opportunities to keep kids safe, but instead,
they did little or nothing.

Many victims of sexual abuse suffer alone and in silence, but when brave
victims report to law enforcement and prosecutors do everything in their
power to ensure that justice is served, our children are safer.

Joelle Casteix, SNAP Western Regional Director
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priestsjcasteix@gmail.com